1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structure for supporting pedals such as a brake pedal, a clutch pedal and the like of a vehicle and more particularly to the structure for supporting a pedal for restricting an invasion of the pedal into a passenger compartment when an impact load is exerted to a front part of the vehicle.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
With respect to known pedal supporting structures for vehicles, there is a technique disclosed by EP 659615A1. In which, a pedal arm is rotatably supported at an upper end thereof by a pedal bracket. The pedal bracket is constituted by a pair of L-shaped arm members disposed opposite to each other in a transverse direction. The paired arm members are separated from each other at the left and right middle portions thereof and the pedal arm supporting section is formed between the paired arm members. Further, the rear part of the arm members gradually comes close to and finally contacts each other. The upper end of the pedal arm is constituted so as to be disconnected from respective bearing sections provided on the respective pedal arm supporting sections.
In thus constituted pedal supporting structure, when an external force is applied to a vehicle from a front side, the entire arm members are deformed and a middle portion thereof widens left and right. As a result, the pedal arm is disconnected at the upper end thereof from the bearing sections. Thus, the pedal is prevented from invading into a passenger compartment in an event of collision of the vehicle.
However, since the pedal bracket, namely the paired arm members, are deformed such that a gap between the arm members widens left and right, a predetermined space for deformation of the pedal bracket must be ensured in the neighborhood of the pedal bracket, especially in a transverse direction of the vehicle, this restricting designs and layouts of the surrounding components of the pedal bracket. Further, in an event of collision of the vehicle, there is possibility that the upper end of the pedal arm would not come out of either of the bearing sections.